Radon in Tucson…Seriously

The Environmental Protection Agency ( EPA ) has, since 2005, found that exposure to Radon gas is the second leading cause of lung cancer deaths in the U.S.    Let me say that again.   Radon exposure is the SECOND leading cause of  lung cancer deaths in the United States, second only to cigarette smoking!  ( www.epa.gov/radon ) 

Not to get too technical, but Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that is present EVERYWHERE!   It is a radioactive gas that is naturally released with the decay of Thorium and Uranium which are common, naturally occurring elements found in rocks and soil.  It is odorless, invisible, and without taste.   Radon -222 decays into radioactive elements two of which emit Alpha particles, and are highly damaging to lung tissue cells.

The EPA  and the Surgeon General recommends that ALL homes  ( below the 3rd floor ) in the U.S. be tested for Radon gas, and action taken to remediate or remove any Radon gas with levels of two to four  picocuries per litter ( pCI/L ).   Levels that are consistently at  four pCI/L are dangerous and need to be addressed. 

The average home in the U.S. has a level of about 1.3 pCI/L.  The closer to the ground that your house is, the higher the levels of Radon.  Houses with slabs on grade ( as are most in Tucson ) and houses wth basements are more apt to have higher levels of radon in the home.   

Radon gas enters the house via cracks in the concrete floor, pores or cracks in concrete blocks, exposed soils in basements, mortar joints, loose fitting pipe penetrations, and some building materials such as rocks, and some granite countertops.

  In the 1990’s the EPA conducted a random sampling of homes in the U.S. and found that millions of homes had elevated radon levels.  They found that in every State there are homes with dangerously high levels of Radon!

Some of the randomly tested areas in Tucson had Radon levels nearly 10 times that which is considered dangerous!

Being a Home Inspector in Tucson since 2003, and being a real estate investor since 1996 in Tucson, the general real estate industry has believed and passed on to others that there is no Radon in Tucson, and so there has been no push to test for it.  I have heard it for myself on numerous occasions, and I spoke with Arizona’s leading Radon expert John Stewart, Radon Program Director for the Arizona Radiation Regulatory Agency who has also heard this misconception about Radon in Tucson.

  There has been some news recently about certain granite countertops giving off high levels of Radon.  Mr. Stewart from the Arizona Radiation Regulatory Agency gave me some further information on this new finding, however it appears the research that was conducted was done by a group that is connected to the industry of granite countertops, and seems a bit suspect. http://www.marble-institute.com/industry resources/truthaboutgraniteradonradiation.pdf .

Other helpful links for more Radon information: http://www.epa.gov/ncepihom/,   www.nrsb.org;   www.neha-nrpp.org.

Please note:   Arizona does not have a certification process or requirement for Radon Testing.  Most people who are interested in having a Radon test perfomed rely on Home Inspectors. 

So, with the information that is at the EPA website, and the information from the AZ Radiation Regulatory Agency, as well as the recommendations from the U.S. Surgeon General,  we may want to re-think our old beliefs about Radon and begin testing our homes for our long term safety, our children’s safety and peace of mind.

TLC Professional Inspections does perform  Radon Testing in the Tucson and surrounding areas.  Please e-mail or call to schedule this essential test!

Are the Current Forclosures Affecting Our Ground Water?

With the rise of foreclosures everywhere, ( Tucson is 37th in the nation according to the newspaper ) some disturbing information is coming to light as I inspect more and more foreclosed homes.

I am arriving to inspect homes that have been taken over by the banks, and finding the property “winterized” !   In Tucson!

Winterizing a property consists of turning the water off at the meter, then opening the faucets and blowing out the existing water in the pipes and emptying the water heater.  Then to keep the sewer lines from freezing ( again, in Tucson!)  ethylene glycol ( radiator fluid) is added in most cases to all of the sinks and toilets to keep them from freezing as well.  This, apparently, is ordered by the bank. 

I tried to query several Realtors for the number of foreclosures now and in the past several months, but ended up at www.forclosures.com and their list says there are about 20,000 houses currently in foreclosure in Pima County.  I can’t verify this number at the is time.

I’m sure the amount of radiator fluid differs per company, but any amount is incredible if you think about it! We are potentially flushing thousands of gallons of radiator fluid into the sewer system every month To winterize a home in the desert in the summer! I placed calls to the Tucson Water Company, and will post this as soon as I hear from the water company.  As far as I can tell, the EPA has no specific way to dispose of ethylene glycol, however dumping radiator fluid into the sewer system is not acceptable.  For an example, we are not allowed to dump outdated medications into the sewer system, so how is flushing radiator fluid okay?

I placed a call to Rodney Glassman’s office, Councilman to ward 2.  The office took the information and is running with it.  Let’s hope this reaches the right ears and things change for the better!

The Tucson gray water myth.

While researching green ideas for my house, Graywater plumbing was among the top of my list. 

Greywater, sometimes called graywater, or sullage, is considered non-industrial  waste water generated from domestic processes such as clothes washing, showering/bathing.  Greywater comprises of 50-80%  of residential waste water.  Greywater is distinct from blackwater  in the amount of and composition of it’s chemical and biological contaminants.  For example, water discharge from the dishwasher or kitchen sinks has an increased amount of food  and contaminants and is considered dark or blackwater.

When I was ready to build my house, I phoned five different plumbing companies, asking if they were familiar with grey water systems or simple grey water plumbing.  The first 4 companies gave me a song and dance about special codes by the city, all of the cost, blah blah blah.  The last company I called was actually EXCITED about greywater plumbing.  The owner of the plumbing company told me he would draw it up and we talked at length about the fact that very few people actually think about it.  He showed me a pamphlet containing the county’s ” grey water use requirements” which is listed below:  ( These requirements cover most of Southern Arizona)  You can also click on this link and view it as well: www.azdeq.gov

1.  Avoid human contact with gray water.

2.  You may use gray water for household gardening, composting, and lawn and landscape irrigation, but it should not run off of your property.

3.  Do not surface irrigate any plants that produce food, except for citrus or nut trees.

4.  Use only flood or drip irrigation to water lawns and landscaping. Spraying gray water is prohibited.

5.  It cannot drain into a wash or drainage way.

6.  Gray water may only be used in locations where groundwater is at least 5 feet below the surface.  (Funny!)

7.  Label gray water pipes under pressure if confusion between gray water and drinking water pipes is possible

8.  Cover, seal and secure storage tanks to restrict access by small rodents and to control disease carrying insects.

9.  Hazardous chemicals such as anti-freeze, mothballs, and solvents cannot be in gray water. Do not include wash water from greasy or oily rags in your gray water

10.  Gray water from washing diapers or other infectious garments must be discharged to a residential sewer or other waste water facility, or the water can be disinfected prior to it’s use.

11.Surface accumulation must be kept to a minimum.

12.  Should a back-up occur, gray water must be disposed into your normal waste water drain system.

13.  If you have a septic or other on-site waste water disposal system, your gray water use does not change that system’s design requirements.

  Now, I elected to use a “passive” system, which does not require pumps, filtration systems or the likes.  I have two zones where one half of the house discharges water to one side of the yard along with the washing machine, an the master bathroom and powder room discharges on the opposite side.  I do have a valve that will allow me to direct the gray water into my septic tank if, for instance I clean the shower with a partially caustic chemical.  There are no pumps, just pipes that I direct to the plants in my yard.  I’m sure I will eventually add a somewhat unsophisticated pump and filtration device to irrigate my plants, and I am working on a design for that as I write.  As far as the septic system we have for our house, we still were required to have the same size tank for the house as if we were not using gray water. 

In reading over the ADEQ reclaimed water pamphlet,  there is a small paragraph on the pamphlet that says, ” Residents must adhere to the guidelines for reclaimed water type 1 general permit. A type 1 general permit requires NO formal notification to the department, NO review or design approval, and NO public notice, reporting or renewal.

Now, lets talk about houses that are pre-existing.  Your best bet for a grey water conversion would be with an older home that has a raised foundation.  The plumbing pipes are accessible ( for the most part ) and can be converted.  The other 90 % of the homes have slabs, and is cost prohibitive to retrofit to gray water.  The only homes I’ve seen have been where the laundry is outside in a carport closet and is the only grey water used, and can be done much more easily.

So far my plants love it, my water bill is lower than most, and I feel like I’m doing something to help the drought!

TLC Web Site

The TLC web site has been updated and remodeled!  Please take a look at some of the extra fun features such as the home inspection photo gallery, with some of the worst home inspections we’ve done!  You can also listen to the radio program that the TLC blog was featured on in November  on ” With The Family in Mind” by Valerie Coleman Morris.  You can view our prototype commercial!  Please take a look and we appreciate any feedback! www.TLCproinspections.com

TLC Professional inspections makes Their National Debut!

The TLC Professional Inspections, Inc. Blog was featured on the CBS Network Radio program ” With the Family in Mind”, by Valerie Morris! 

Valerie Morris, previously of CNN, has used this blog’s information for her radio show for the same reason I write it.  To inform people about ways to save money, save energy, and to maintain a healthy and safe environment in and around the home.

I can’t think of a better compliment than using the information I provide for my clients and the Real Estate professionals for Valerie’s National Radio Program, ” With the Family in Mind” which she developed to help inform families about financial matters. 

Now, more than ever, we have to watch what we spend, waste less, and become more informed about our own money matters.  That’s why I use this blog to inform my client’s and others about my area of expertise and how you can save money from my point of view.  To listen to the audio of the radio program, please go to www.tlcproinspections.com and click on the ” Features” tab.

I am eternally grateful ad honored that Valerie Coleman Morris found my information valuable enough for her radio listeners.

Thanks again, Valerie!

Let the light shine in…and save money. Solar Tube information

For 2 years before I built my house, I researched numerous green building techniques and products, as I see so much wasted water and energy as a home inspector.  Several years ago,during a home inspection, I was delighted to discover a new skylight.  It was small, round, and looked like a recessed light. It was so bright, I was looking for the switch to turn it off!  I asked the owners about it and it led me to the internet searching for solar tubes.

There are several makers of theses skylights, the original being “Solatube”.  These types of skylights are easier to install, and bring in so much light! They are also smaller, and less likely to leak than traditional skylights. Additionally, they are energy efficient, meaning they don”t allow heat or cold in or out of the house.  ( They also have a tax advantage for being energy efficient!)

We installed 2 in our master bedroom closet, one in the powder room, the pantry, the laundry room, and the other bathrooms.  During the day, we don’t have to turn on any lights in any part of our house. 

Because we were in the process of construction, the placement and installation was easier than installing them after, but they are easier and can be installed anywhere.  I don’t endorse any particular brand, but take a look at the specs at www.solatube.com to get an idea about what I am talking about.  

The use of lights and appliances takes up about 34% of our energy usage according to the US Dept. of Energy.  If your average bill is $100.00, you can save about 15-25 dollars per month on your energy bill by installing solar tubes, plus write off a portion of the cost of the solar tubes themselves. 

Check them out if you could use more light in areas of your house!

Swamp Cooling (Evaporative Cooling)

Some of us here in the southwest have an antiquated way of cooling our homes.  Evaporative Cooling ( Swamp Cooling ).  A unit is primarily located on the roof, with water pumped onto the roof to the cooler, then a pump saturates pads on the 1, 3 or 4 sides depending on the model, and a fan sucks air through the wet pads, and through evaporation, cools the air being blown into your house.  The effectiveness is directly related to the amount of humidity in the outside air.  The lower the humidity outside, the more effective the swamp (evaporative cooler) is at cooling your house.   The spring and fall are when the swamp cooler is most effective.  Monsoon season is the worst time.

Lets say the swamp cooler is at it’s most effective. Low humidity outside and such.  The swamp cooler will cool about 20 degrees less than the outside ambient temperature.  So, if it is 90 degrees Fahrenheit outside, the cooler should cool the inside of the house to 20 degrees less than the outside temp, or 70 degrees. 

Now, some people who grew up with the swamp cooler prefer the extra moisture in the house that the swamp cooler adds,  and they say that the swamp cooler uses less energy than an air conditioner.  As a home inspector though, they are responsible for more roofing problems, such as leaks, deterioration of the roofing coating, wood rot from overflowing coolers, and are a maintenance problem. One may save on energy costs if you have an older A/C, but there really is no difference with the newer A/C’ s on the market now.  You are actually spending more money with roof repairs, water and maintenance of the unit.

I have to admit they are truly an easy machine, consisting of a small pump, pads and a motor with a fan.  If you are relatively handy, you only have to go up onto the roof each month to make sure the pads are being saturated, the fan and pump are working, the float is working so it doesn’t overflow onto the roof.  I don’t know who invented them, but they had their time in the spotlight, but with the new energy efficient A/C ’s out there, it may be time to do away with them all together. 

As a property owner and a Home Inspector, I see so much damage to the roof and to the drywall in homes from poorly maintained swamp coolers, not to mention the wasted water.  All it takes is a small mal-adjusted float to have water leak constantly onto the roof.  This constant water on the roof deteriorates the roofing material, and left unchecked, causes leaks into the home.   

If you own an evaporative cooler and you use it through the summer, make sure it is maintained on a regular basis, attach an old garden hose to the overflow pipe within the cooler and let it drain off the roof instead of onto the roof, and save a great deal of costly repairs.  The OLD saying was that swamp cooling was cheaper to run than an air conditioner, but with today’s energy efficient air conditioners, that saying no longer applies. You can cool your house all summer long, consistently, for the same energy costs, and save water as well as potential damage to your home.

Sometimes, change is good!

More energy (money!) saving tips…

Most everything comes down to money.   Everything we do in our house either saves or costs us money.  Change a few home habits now, and have enough money to send your children to college, or take that trip to Cancun, or invest in whatever…

Here are some simple ways to cut your energy costs at home:

 1.  Change or clean your furnace, A/C filer once a month. This cuts down on contaminating the inner workings of the furnace and A/C, which allows the unit to operate more efficiently.  Servicing your furnace and A/C once per year will also keep it working efficiently.  To many people, servicing means ” come out and fix my broken A/C “!  Not so.  A yearly cleaning, checking the refrigerant pressures, making sure the furnace is safe and effective, etc.  It may seem easier to pay the $150. electric bill month after month, than to pay $75. up front to service your A/C and then pay $100. a month because the unit is now more efficient.  Makes sense, but we need a kick in the pants sometimes to get us started. 

As a Home Inspector,  I see more heating and cooling problems from deferred maintenance than any other major system in the house, and at a costly price.

Insulation:  If you have an older house with a pitched roof, adding more insulation such as blown in or batt insulation, or even spray in foam insulation, you can drastically cut down your energy costs.  Again, you spend money up front, however it pays for itself soon enough.  I considered several types of insulation when preparing to build my house, but my wife and I planned on staying in the house for more than 4 years, so we went with the better, (but more expensive ) spray in poly-uria foam insulation. it seals all the air gaps and gives about an R-50 rating for the roof insulation.  As a testimonial, we did not use the furnace except once ( a relative was staying over and wanted the house hot!)  The temperature stayed about 68 degrees to 72 degrees in the daytime, without the furnace on.  Now, if you are planning to move in two years, it may not pay for itself, however it is a great selling point for potential buyers!

According to the U.S. Department of energy, 34% of your home’s energy use is through appliances and lighting.  One consideration is the addition of Solar tubes, (energy efficient skylights).  As I built my house, I added them to bathrooms, the pantry, and to the master closet. Where ever I go in my house now, I have no need for turning on lights during the day.  They are also tax deductible!

If you have the bad habit of leaving lights on, try installing motion sensor switches.  They turn the light on when you walk into the room, and if they don’t detect any motion for a minute or two, turn the lights off again. These are great in closets, and bathrooms.

I don’t want to get too much into solar ideas, lets just say that here in Tucson, solar can be a HUGE benefit in reducing the cost of energy, and cutting green house emissions. However for most persons, the up front cost is prohibitive, and truly is a deterrent.

Another expensive but big energy saver is upgrading older single pane windows.  So much energy in the way of heat and cooling is lost through the windows.  I attended a Home Show here in town, and saw the difference in single versus double, versus triple pane windows, and I was truly impressed. The triple pane did an outstanding job of keeping out radiant heat, and if you plan to replace your windows anyway, seriously consider the triple pane. 

Keep your eyes peeled for for more tips later, but in the meantime, keep an open mind and try being more aware of how you spend your energy dollar!

There are many more tips in a .pdf format from the U.S. Department of Energy @ www.eere.energy.gov/consumer/tips/

For Your Health: Avoiding Carbon Monoxide poisoning In the Home.

Carbon monoxide ( CO ) is an odorless, colorless gas which is the byproduct of incomplete combustion of carbon in fuels and oxygen, which for the purpose of this article stems from household gas appliances.

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, more than 200 carbon monoxide deaths related to the use of all types of combustible appliances in the home occur each year, not to mention individuals becoming ill from the effects of carbon monoxide poisoning. In addition to those diagnosed, there are numerous people becoming ill from CO effects but being mis-diagnosed and thus are going uncounted.

Symptoms include fatigue, headaches, dizziness and weakness. In higher levels or longer exposures, it can cause sleepiness, confusion, nausea and vomiting, and then at higher levels, death.

Techical stuff:  Hemoglobin in your red blood cells carry oxygen to your tissues.  With carbon monoxide present, the CO is more attractive to the hemoglobin in your red blood cells, and carries the CO instead of the oxygen, and your tissues starve.

Some sources of CO in the home come from car exhaust in the garage, using a charcoal grill in within the house, loose and disconnected vent pipes on water heaters or gas furnaces, using a gas generator within the house, a malfunctioning water heater, or furnace.

 

These photo shows the absence of a flue vent to carry away CO and othe biproducts of cumbustion. This particular condition should be corrected immediately.

 

This brings us to the important issues.  If you have any gas appliances, or other fuel burning appliances, these should be checked on an annual basis, and a great time is to have everything checked when you have your furnace serviced in the fall. ( Servicing does not mean when it breaks, it means preventative maintenance!)

Although carbon monoxide alarms are not mandatory everywhere yet, if you have gas appliances, placing several CO monitors in your home could save a life!

To read more on carbon monoxide and other indoor polutants, go to:

www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/452.html

www.epa.gov/air/urbanair/co/hlth1/html

Look like a Hero when you have a pre-listing home inspection!

Here in Tucson, we are undoubtedly in a “Buyers Market”.   What ever edge you can get on the guy down the street with the same house, same price (or lower) and the same square footage, you should jump on the chance. Well, here is one edge to consider.  Have a home inspection done on your house prior to listing it, and here are some good reasons why:

* It shows that you are honest and have nothing to hide, that you are willing to step up to the plate and disclose everything about your house. 

*  If the home inspector does find issues, they are truly less expensive to fix before the buyer finds it.  For example:  The home inspector points out insulation missing at the A/C unit on the refrigerant line. You can fix it for several dollars, or the buyer will ask for a licensed heating and cooling contractor to fix it for $75-$100. dollars.  That is one of many things you can do as a home seller before the buyer comes in. Do the math.

*  Having a pre-listing inspection puts the seller more in control of the negotiations. You as the seller already know what issues there are and you are that much more prepared.

*  It adds to the marketing of the home.  On the multiple listing service, having that listed on the marketing remarks adds credibility and honesty.

*  The selling and buying of the home goes smoother, as the stumbling blocks have been removed or lessened ahead of time.  as a Realtor friend of mine put it,  ” It’s much easier to slay the dragon when it’s small than when it’s full grown”.

* When you live in a house for a while, things that may be issues to a home inspector just become something you get used to from day to day.  Knowing all about your house with a pre-listing inspection lessens your surprise factor as well.

*  On a more extreme side, a pre-listing home inspection may alert you to hazards that may affect yours and your families health, such as mold, carbon monoxide poisoning, etc.

Try something most home sellers don’t.  have a home inspection before you list it, and save more of your hard earned money.

IT’S EASIER TO SLAY THE DRAGON WHEN IT’S SMALL…!